A fair number of years ago, the company I was with swapped in new senior management in conjunction with / for the purpose of executing a severe downsizing. Sud

A fair number of years ago, the company I was with swapped in new senior management in conjunction with / for the purpose of executing a severe downsizing. Suddenly, I'm walking past armed guards in the lobby. This was not a "security" related company. Just an old-line business suffering under the changes brought by technology and too long under reactionary management. But this new management was paranoid that someone was going to come in and shoot them up. I'll differ with jmccree in that I don't see this as the result of rising prosperity. Rather, I see it as the result of rising inequality. The rich are all the more able to pay for this and to force it through, when the masses -- including those from whom they hire their security -- are worse off. They can more easily afford the wages, and they more easily -- through their influence -- control the political implications. As for the trend in the U.S., which also is occurring in e.g. fire fighting support and other areas. Many would argue it's another sign that, beneath the GDP totals, the U.S. is no longer a first world country. Piece by piece, link by link in an increasingly severed social contract.